The Greenville times., 1887-04-16
Perverted Question.

M the expense OF hecuii ihb the
river front here from eaying, has
In some quarters led to error
and nilsstatement Of fact In view
Of the importance Of the question
in the abstract aud Of dormant
emergencies which it may touch,
we will endeayor to state the
proposition more in detail than
heretofore.
The extension of the powers OF
the Board of Levee Commissioners
to engage in such work appears to
be imperfeetly understood. Such
enlargement is effected in an act OF
1884; and is in fact limited to a
general authorization of the said
Board to contract and cooperate
with the River Commission for the
construction and maintenance OF
leyees. This provision was grated
upon our leyee laws to facilitate
and promote the joint purposes
and operations of the two bodies;
and is palpably indispensable to
that end. The extent TO which the
Levee Board may exercise this
power of cooperation, the official
construction of the clause, is un.
tested.
The idea of the Greenville reso-
luton was to suggest to the Board
that its object, the protection Of
the district from overflow, could
be more certainly aud economical.
ly served at this point By assisting
the River Commission, to such
amount as may be deemed prop.
er, in the prevention of caying;
rather than the location and con.
struction of a new leyee beyond
caying limit. A petition to this eff.
feet, presenting the matter purely
upon LEyEE merits, will probably
be presented; and Its careful con.
sideration and just determination
asked. The citizens of GreenviIle
will ask nothing to which they are
not entitled as an integer of the
levee district; one paying a full
share of its pecuniary burthen.
But their request for innovation
in the manner Of overflow defense,
il approved as less costly and
more effective, is surely not to be
denied because it has the further
effect OF saving the town front and
property from another danger.
The Levee Board should, and
we have no doubt will, strip from
this subject all that pertains to 1t,
all OF It's effects and incidents, OK.
cept as they concern and bear up.
on the levee resources aud inter.
ests. The claim of Greenville
should be determined just as
those OF other points where this
kind of work, the prevention of
caving as a means of overflow dc.
fense,w will in all probability demand
adoption. In this case ii is
small matter whether the Board
grant or reject such claim; except
as 1t establishes Il precedent. Not
so at another and far more vital
point, Lake Bolivar leves, that of
chief Importance aud care on the
entire Delta front which if broken
pours down destruction on the
choicest portion OF its territory.
IL is with deepest concern that
VIC refer to the grave condition
there and which, far more than
at Greenville, can only be met
by preservation of the present
river front. When the levee there
was rebuilt in 1889 labor and
cost were entirely subordinated to
effect security against future over.
flows. And the result was the
most massive and perfect piece of
work ever raised upon the Mlssis.
sippi. To give permanence it was
located as far into the head of
Lake Bolivar as was possible.
There had been no caving on Its
front, aud such costly preeaution
was thought ill.adyised. But in
extreme illustration of the uncer.
tainties and casualties incident TO
levee building, it began to cave
there the next year, and has since
approached the base of that great
work with alarming strides. II is
well nigh certain that in the next
few years something will have to
be done to save it and that some.
thing Is the prevention of caying,
for there Is no site for new leyee
within the present one. In this
case it will not be n matter of n
few thousand dollars, but one
which must be met II it strains the
levee statutes aud the entire re.
sources OF the district.
This question that Greeuyille
has raised is proper subject for
calm thought and far discussions;
aud not of false alarms, or iaun.
diced appeals to local prejudice.
There is no thought aud no danger
OF sharp practice. OF the six mem.
bers of the Board not one is A cit.